The draft in the 1960s and 1970s was a lightning rod that lit up schisms of race, class and culture in American society. But ending the draft has produced unintended consequences, creating a citizenry disconnected from that of the soldiers who experience the burden of war. The question of who serves in America’s military has shaped battle strategy and foreign policy and stranded Americans in uniform for years on distant battlefields. From the Civil War to the conflicts of the Vietnam era, forced military service has torn the nation apart – and sometimes, as in WWII, united Americans in a common purpose. Featuring interviews with the people who fought the draft, supported it and lived its realities, this program tells the story of how a single, controversial issue continues to define a nation.

Join Harvard scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. as he delves into the genealogy of guests. Each story illuminates the vast patchwork of ethnicity, race and experience that makes up the fabric of America.

Examine the ways the USO has lifted the spirits of American service personnel for more than 75 years. See how the organization keeps military men and women connected to country, home, family and hope, abroad and on the home front.

Kaho‘olawe, an island that many Hawaiians hold as sacred, has been a cultural and political touchstone since the 1970s. When the U.S. military handed over control of Kaho‘olawe to the state of Hawai‘i, unexploded bombs and erosion left a barren landscape that many to this day are working to replant and restore. Today, Kaho‘olawe waits to be transferred to a Native Hawaiian entity to manage the island, but funding for the clean-up is fast running out. The Legislature has approved $2 million to help continue the restoration of Kaho‘olawe, but will it be enough?

INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI‘I is a live public affairs show that is also live streamed on PBSHawaii.org.

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There’s a pitched war of words over a plan to downsize troops at two U.S. Army bases on Oahu, Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter. The Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i is leading the charge for those opposed to the cuts, citing an enormous impact to Hawai‘i’s economy in both revenues and in military/civilian jobs. Those in favor of the downsizing believe it will relieve some of Hawai‘i’s traffic and housing woes. Malia Mattoch moderates this discussion.